AWS C1.1M/C1.

1:2012
An American National Standard

Recommended
Practices for
Resistance
Welding
 AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012
An American National Standard
Approved by the
American National Standards Institute
February 17, 2012

Recommended Practices
for Resistance Welding

5th Edition

Supersedes AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2000

Prepared by the
American Welding Society (AWS) C1 Committee on Resistance Welding

Under the Direction of the

AWS Technical Activities Committee

Approved by the
AWS Board of Directors

Abstract
This Recommended Practices is a collection of data and procedures that are intended to assist the user in setting up resis-
tance welding equipment to produce resistance welded production parts. While the recommendations included are not
expected to be final procedures for every production part or every welding machine, they serve as starting points from
which a user can establish acceptable welding machine settings for specific production welding applications.

In some cases, recommended machine data is not available. In these instances, some description of the process is given
to assist the reader in determining if the process might be suitable for the application.
AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012

International Standard Book Number: 978-0-87171-803-7

American Welding Society
550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126
© 2012 by American Welding Society
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

Photocopy Rights. No portion of this standard may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
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Internet: <www.copyright.com>.

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 AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012

Statement on the Use of American Welding Society Standards

All standards (codes, specifications, recommended practices, methods, classifications, and guides) of the American
Welding Society (AWS) are voluntary consensus standards that have been developed in accordance with the rules of the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). When AWS American National Standards are either incorporated in, or
made part of, documents that are included in federal or state laws and regulations, or the regulations of other governmen-
tal bodies, their provisions carry the full legal authority of the statute. In such cases, any changes in those AWS standards
must be approved by the governmental body having statutory jurisdiction before they can become a part of those laws and
regulations. In all cases, these standards carry the full legal authority of the contract or other document that invokes the
AWS standards. Where this contractual relationship exists, changes in or deviations from requirements of an AWS stan-
dard must be by agreement between the contracting parties.
AWS American National Standards are developed through a consensus standards development process that brings
together volunteers representing varied viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus. While the AWS administers the
process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not independently test, evalu-
ate, or verify the accuracy of any information or the soundness of any judgments contained in its standards.
AWS disclaims liability for any injury to persons or to property, or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether spe-
cial, indirect, consequential, or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance on this
standard. AWS also makes no guarantee or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.
In issuing and making this standard available, AWS is neither undertaking to render professional or other services for or
on behalf of any person or entity, nor is AWS undertaking to perform any duty owed by any person or entity to someone
else. Anyone using these documents should rely on his or her own independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the
advice of a competent professional in determining the exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances. It is
assumed that the use of this standard and its provisions is entrusted to appropriately qualified and competent personnel.
This standard may be superseded by the issuance of new editions. This standard may also be corrected through publica-
tion of amendments or errata. It may also be supplemented by publication of addenda. Information on the latest editions
of AWS standards including amendments, errata, and addenda are posted on the AWS web page (www.aws.org). Users
should ensure that they have the latest edition, amendments, errata, and addenda.
Publication of this standard does not authorize infringement of any patent or trade name. Users of this standard accept any
and all liabilities for infringement of any patent or trade name items. AWS disclaims liability for the infringement of any
patent or product trade name resulting from the use of this standard.
The AWS does not monitor, police, or enforce compliance with this standard, nor does it have the power to do so.
On occasion, text, tables, or figures are printed incorrectly, constituting errata. Such errata, when discovered, are posted
on the AWS web page (www.aws.org).
Official interpretations of any of the technical requirements of this standard may only be obtained by sending a request,
in writing, to the appropriate technical committee. Such requests should be addressed to the American Welding Society,
Attention: Managing Director, Technical Services Division, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126 (see Annex B).
With regard to technical inquiries made concerning AWS standards, oral opinions on AWS standards may be rendered.
These opinions are offered solely as a convenience to users of this standard, and they do not constitute professional
advice. Such opinions represent only the personal opinions of the particular individuals giving them. These individuals
do not speak on behalf of AWS, nor do these oral opinions constitute official or unofficial opinions or interpretations of
AWS. In addition, oral opinions are informal and should not be used as a substitute for an official interpretation.
This standard is subject to revision at any time by the AWS C1 Committee on Resistance Welding. It must be reviewed
every five years, and if not revised, it must be either reaffirmed or withdrawn. Comments (recommendations, additions,
or deletions) and any pertinent data that may be of use in improving this standard are required and should be addressed
to AWS Headquarters. Such comments will receive careful consideration by the AWS C1 Committee on Resistance
Welding and the author of the comments will be informed of the Committee’s response to the comments. Guests are
invited to attend all meetings of the AWS C1 Committee on Resistance Welding to express their comments verbally.
Procedures for appeal of an adverse decision concerning all such comments are provided in the Rules of Operation of the
Technical Activities Committee. A copy of these Rules can be obtained from the American Welding Society, 550 N.W.
LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.

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 AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012

Personnel

AWS C1 Committee on Resistance Welding

N.S. Scotchmer, Chair Huys Industries Limited
W.F. Qualls, Vice Chair Consultant
E.H. Abrams, Secretary American Welding Society
C. E. Albright The Ohio State University, Retired
T.W. Alexander Centerline (Windsor) Ltd.
B. J. Bastian Benmar Associates
J. C. Bohr General Motors
W. H. Brafford Tuffaloy Products
R. K. Cohen WeldComputer Corporation
C. S. Davidson Allweld Technologies
K. Hofman Roman Engineering Services

Advisors to the AWS C1 Committee on Resistance Welding

M. Hebert General Motors- Retired
W. Jaxa-Rozen Bombardier Transportation
B. Kelly Kelly Welding Solutions
M. Kimchi Edison Welding Institute
M. Tumuluru U.S. Steel

Special Contributor
M. Cubert Sciaky, Incorporated

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 AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012

Foreword
This foreword is not part of AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2012, Recommended Practices for
Resistance Welding, but is included for informational purposes only.

The data contained in these Recommended Practices have been compiled by the AWS Committee on Resistance
Welding, by reviewing the data in the previous documents, by canvassing users of the resistance welding processes and
correlating the data thus obtained. The resulting welding schedules shown in the tables were circulated for comments and,
in addition, some tests were conducted to ascertain that welds of the specified strengths could be obtained.
The present edition of Recommended Practices represents an updated combination and extension of data presented in the
previous edition of AWS C1.1M/C1.1:2000, Recommended Practices for Resistance Welding. Practices for new materi-
als have been added and practices for materials which are not currently resistance welded in commercial production have
been deleted. The new materials include high-strength low-alloy steels, both coated and uncoated
The AWS Committee on Resistance Welding has prepared these Recommended Practices in the hope that they will serve
as an incentive for industry to develop methods and procedures improving upon the practice presented herein; which will
permit the raising of quality and performance standards. If this is achieved, the Committee will have been amply repaid
for the time and effort it has devoted to this work.
Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary,
AWS C1 Committee on Resistance Welding, American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.

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Table of Contents

Page No.
Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
List of Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi
List of Figures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii
1. General Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 Units of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.3 Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2. Normative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
3. Terms and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
4. Resistance Spot and Seam Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.1 Uncoated Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.2 Coated Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3 Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.4 Stainless Steels, Nickel, Nickel-Base, and Cobalt-Base Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4.5 Copper and Copper Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.6 Titanium and Titanium Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.7 Welding Data Comments and Discussions Applicable to Various Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.8 Weld Discrepancies and Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.9 Weld Quality and Mechanical Property Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
5. Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
5.2 Embossed Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
5.3 Solid Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
5.4 Multiple Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
5.5 Weld Quality and Mechanical Property Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6. Flash Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
6.2 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
6.3 Welding Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6.4 Welding Variable Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
6.5 Classification of Steels for Flash Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6.6 Joint Preparation and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
6.7 Welding Schedules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
6.8 Weld Discrepancies and Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
6.9 Weld Quality and Mechanical Property Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
7. Upset Welding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

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7.2 Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.3 Welding Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.4 Joint Preparation and Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.5 Welding Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
7.6 Weld Quality and Mechanical Property Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
8. Weld Bonding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
8.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
8.2 Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
8.3 Other Metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
8.4 Weld Bonding Quality and Mechanical Property Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
9. Equipment Monitoring and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
10. Safety and Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.2 Selection of Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.3 Operator Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.4 Personal Protective Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.5 Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
10.6 Guarding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
10.7 Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
10.8 Static Safety Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10.9 Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10.10 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10.11 Fire Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10.12 Noise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
10.13 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
10.14 Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
10.15 Hazardous Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Annex A (Informative)—Informative References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Annex B (Informative)—Guidelines for the Preparation of Technical Inquiries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
List of AWS Documents for Resistance Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

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List of Tables

Table Page No.

1 Spot-Welding Parameters for Bare, Galvanneal, and Galvanized Low-Carbon Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
2 Pulsation Spot-Welding Parameters for Low-Carbon Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Seam Welding Parameters for Bare, Galvanneal, and Galvanized Low-Carbon Steel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4 Spot-Welding Parameters for Bare, Galvanneal, and Galvanized Low-Carbon Steel
(350–700 MPa Ultimate Tensile Strength) [50–100 ksi] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
5 Spot-Welding Parameters for Bare, Galvanneal, and Galvanized Low-Carbon Steel
(>700 MPa Ultimate Tensile Strength) [>101 ksi] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
6 Spot-Welding Parameters for Low-Alloy and Medium-Carbon Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
7 Electrode Materials for Resistance Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
8 Basic Aluminum Alloy Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
9 Resistance Weldability Chart for Commonly Used Combinations of Aluminum Alloys
(Based On Equal Thickness) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
10 Recommended Spot Weld Spacing, Edge Distance, Overlap, and Distance between Rows of
Welds for Aluminum and Its Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
11 Spot-Welding Parameters for Aluminum Alloys on Standard Single-Phase A-C Type Equipment . . . . . 20
12 Spot-Welding Parameters for Aluminum Alloys on Single-Phase A-C Slope Control
Type Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
13 Spot-Welding Parameters for Aluminum Alloys on Three-Phase Rectifier Type Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 22
14 Spot-Welding Parameters for Aluminum Alloys on Three-Phase Frequency Converter
Type Equipment (Single Impulse Welds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
15 Spot-Welding Parameters for Stainless Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
16 Pulsation Spot-Welding Parameters for Stainless Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
17 Seam Welding Parameters for Stainless Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
18 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Copper Alloy on Single-Phase Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . 28
19 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Copper Alloy on Three-Phase Frequency
Converter Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
20 Seam Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Copper Alloy on Single-Phase Equipment . . . . . . . . . . 30
21 Seam Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Copper Alloy on Three-Phase Frequency
Converter Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
22 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy 600 on Single-Phase Equipment . . . . 34
23 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on Single-Phase
Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
24 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on Three-Phase
Frequency Converter Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
25 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on Three-Phase
Dry Disk Rectifier Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
26 Seam Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on
Single-Phase Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
27 Seam Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on Three-Phase Frequency
Converter Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
28 Roll-Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel–Chromium Alloy X750 on Three-Phase Dry Disk
Rectifier Machines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
29 Spot-Welding Parameters for Annealed Nickel on Single-Phase Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
30 Spot-Welding Parameters for Nickel–Iron–Chromium Alloys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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31 Seam-Welding Parameters for Nickel–Iron–Chromium Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

32 Spot-Welding Parameters for Cobalt–Chromium–Nickel Alloys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
33 Spot-Welding Parameters for Various Copper Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
34 Spot-Welding Parameters for Titanium Alloy 6% Al–4% V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
35 Variation of Current Density and Unit Force Due to Lack of Electrode Tip Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
36 Spot-Welding Parameters for Various Thickness Combinations and Arrangements of
Uncoated and Coated-Carbon and Low-Alloy Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
37 Projection and Die Geometries for Welding a Range of Heavy-Gauge Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
38 Process Requirements for Projection Welding a Range of Heavy-Gauge Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
39 Punch Design Data for Low-Carbon Steel Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
40 Die Button Design Data for Low-Carbon Steel Projections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
41 Punch and Die Design Data for Forming Projections on Stainless Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
42 Projection Welding Parameters for Low-Carbon Steel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
43 Projection Welding Parameters for Galvanized Low-Carbon Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
44 Projection Welding Parameters for Stainless Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
45 Projection Designs and Process Requirements for Annular Projection Welding Some
Representative Light-Gauge Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
46 Projection Welding Design Data for Stainless Steels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
47 Projections for Low-Carbon Steel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
48 Process Requirements for Cross Wire Welding a Range of Thicknesses of Hot- and
Cold-Drawn Steel Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
49 Data for Flash Welding of Tubing and Flat Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
50 Data for Flash Welding of Solid Round, Hex, Square, and Rectangular Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
51 Weld-Bonding Surface Preparation for Aluminum Alloys by Low-Voltage Anodizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
52 Comparison between Resistance Spot-Welding and Weld-Bonding of Aluminum Alloys . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
53 Typical Spot-Welding Parameters for 1.6 mm [0.063 in] Thick 7075-T6 Aluminum Treated
with a Low-Voltage Anodizing Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
54 Commonly Used Metric Conversions Inch-Millimeter Conversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

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List of Figures

Figure Page No.

1 Coring in Nickel Alloy 718 (UNS N07718) Resistance Seam Weld, 200X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2 Standard RWMA Nose or Tip Geometries of Spot-Welding Electrodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
3 ISO 5821 Female Electrode Cap Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
4 Peel Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
5 Peel Test Specimens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
6 Measurement of a Weld Button Resulting From the Peel Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
7 Fracture or Pullout Modes of Weld Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
8 Bend Test Specimen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
9 Chisel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
10 Tension-Shear Test Specimen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
11 Spot Welds in Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
12 Twisting Angle γ at Fracture in Tension Shear Test. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
13 Cross-Tension Test Specimens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
14 Fixture for Cross-Tension Test (for Thicknesses up to 4.8 mm [0.19 in]) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
15 Fixture for Cross-Tension Test (for Thicknesses 4.8 mm [0.19 in] and Over). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
16 U-Test Specimen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
17 U-Tension Test Jig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
18 Pull Test (90-Degree Peel Test) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
19 Test Specimen and Typical Equipment for Torsion-Shear Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
20 Drop-Impact Test Specimen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
21 Drop-Impact Test Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
22 Test Fixture for Shear-Impact Loading Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
23 Test Fixture for Tension-Impact Loading Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
24 Fatigue Testing Machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
25 Pillow Test for Seam Welds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
26 Typical Stack-up Configuration for Embossed Projection Welding of Sheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
27 Typical Configuration for Solid Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
28 Diagram Defining How Set-Down is Estimated on Cross-Wire Welds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
29 Characteristics of Projection Collapse during Annular Projection Welding with Different
Base-Projection Widths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
30 Chart of Flash Welding Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
31 Chart of Flash Welding Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
32 Flash Welding of Tubing and Flat Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
33 Flash Welding of Solid Round, Hex, Square, and Rectangular Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
34 Comparison of Tensile-Shear Strengths of Uncured and Cured (Single Spot) Weld-Bonded
Joints of 7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
35 Comparison of Fatigue Test Results of Weld Bonded and Adhesive Bonded Joints of
7075-T6 Aluminum Alloy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
36 Fatigue Test Specimen of Weld-Bonded and Adhesive-Bonded Joints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
37 Form for Resistance Welding Data Sheet for Spot and Projection Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
38 Form for Resistance Welding Data Sheet for Seam Welding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
39 Form for Resistance Welding Data Sheet for Flash or Upset Welding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

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Recommended Practices for Resistance Welding

1. General Requirements
1.1 Scope. It is the intent of this publication to present current concepts and practices for resistance welding (and related
processes) of ferrous and nonferrous metals including coated and dissimilar metals. Where practical, welding schedules
are included. In other instances where schedules are too varied or the state-of-the-art is not sufficiently developed,
descriptive guidelines are included to enable the user to establish welding procedures to meet its requirements.
It is important to recognize that these recommended practices are not the only means to weld the materials and thickness
shown. When developing a welding schedule(s) for a particular application, the workpiece geometry, equipment
employed, and production requirements will all influence the parameters and effectiveness of the process.
In using the data shown in the tables, it is imperative that reference be made to the appropriate text. Failure to refer to the
text may result in misinterpretation of the data in the tables. The text has been kept as brief as possible and all extraneous
comments have been omitted.
For more detailed information on the fundamentals of the resistance welding processes and the types of equipment uti-
lized for the different processes, consult the current AWS Welding Handbook.
1.2 Units of Measurement. This standard makes use of both the International System of Units (SI) and U.S. Customary
Units. The latter are shown within brackets [ ] or in appropriate columns in tables and figures. The measurements may not
be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently.
1.3 Safety. Safety issues and concerns are addressed in this standard, although health issues and concerns are beyond the
scope of this standard. Safety and health information is available from the following sources:
American Welding Society:
(1) ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes
(2) AWS Safety and Health Fact Sheets
(3) Other safety and health information on the AWS website
Material or Equipment Manufacturers:
(1) Material Safety Data Sheets supplied by materials manufacturers
(2) Operating Manuals supplied by equipment manufacturers
Applicable Regulatory Agencies
Work performed in accordance with this standard may involve the use of materials that have been deemed hazardous, and
may involve operations or equipment that may cause injury or death. This standard does not purport to address all safety
and health risks that may be encountered. The user of this standard should establish an appropriate safety program to
address such risks as well as to meet applicable regulatory requirements. ANSI Z49.1 should be considered when devel-
oping the safety program.